The present invention relates to improvements in methods of and in devices for establishing (including restoring) vegetable covers on at least partially denuded land. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in means for spreading seedlings on barren or partially barren land.
It is known to confine seeds in a non-woven fabric or in an analogous fleece-like flat sheet-like material. It is also known to bond seeds to sheets of filamentary material. Once deposited on a selected piece of land, the filamentary seed carrier is covered with a layer of humus so that the seeds are maintained close to the ground and their roots can penetrate into and become anchored in the ground after a relatively short period of growth. The layer of humus further serves to prevent rapid drying of the seeds and/or sprouts. Attempts to prevent shifting of filamentary seed carrying material relative to a selected piece of land include the utilization of nails or other suitable fasteners. A drawback of the just discussed prior proposal is that a heavy rainfall washes away the layer of humus as well as the seeds, or that such heavy rainfall causes the humus layer to slip away in its entirety, especially if the fibrous seed carrier is spread out on uneven terrain, e.g., on a sloping piece of land.
German Pat. No. 826,516 discloses the utilization of a piece of cord as a carrier of uniformly distributed seeds. The cord is placed onto and is secured to the ground, or is actually embedded in the ground. The patent proposes to employ such cord as a means for uniformly distributing seeds in a corn field or in another field and to utilize a machine for the application of the cord over a selected piece of land. The patented proposal is satisfactory for the planting of seeds which are to develop into relatively large plants, such as corn stalks, trees and other plants which are normally spaced apart at a fixed distance from each other. The cord is supposed to decompose after a relatively short period of contact with the ground. A drawback of the patented proposal is that the cord cannot be used, or is not practical for use on a sloping terrain. Moreover, the application of seeds to uniformly spaced apart portions of a cord is a complex operation irrespective of whether it is carried out by hand or in a specially designed machine.